2.9.26
Released 2 Nov 2026
VariantOak 2.9.26 reads your server files, edits serverconfig.xml with a diff you approve and runs your own start and backup scripts, all from one chat on Windows 10 or 11.
server folderfoundserverconfig.xmlreadbackup_saves.batexit 0serverconfig.xml+2 -2ServerName1 matchReleased 2 Nov 2026
Installer for Windows 10/11
Languages of the app interface
Default base port of the server
Auto-run, Ask first, Plan only
No account needed to run
A 7 Days to Die server is a program you run yourself, and VariantOak looks after the files around it. It reads serverconfig.xml and your logs, proposes edits as a diff and runs your own scripts. Each card shows output. Version 2.9.26 needs Windows 10 or 11, and the setup program is 34 MB.
You ask for a new name and a lower player limit. VariantOak runs list_dir to find the server folder, read_file to open serverconfig.xml and edit_file to change the ServerName and ServerMaxPlayerCount lines. Ask first mode pauses before the edit, and the diff shows exactly which lines change while ServerPort stays at 26900. Two lines change. After you accept, grep confirms that the new name appears once in the file, and you start the server yourself with your own script.
list_dir server folder → found
read_file serverconfig.xml → read
edit_file serverconfig.xml → +2 -2
grep ServerName → 1 matchYou type admin commands such as listplayers or kick in the server console yourself, and VariantOak helps with what follows. grep searches the server log for the line where a player was disconnected, and read_file shows the lines around it. When the server keeps crashing with a custom map, the first error line before the crash is the one to read. Nothing is edited here. serveradmin.xml shows each permission level, where 0 is the highest, and the agent only reads it.
grep disconnected → 2 matches
read_file serveradmin.xml → read
grep error → 1 matchSwitch to Plan only mode and ask for a step list. The agent writes it without running anything, and it names the tools it would use: http_get to read the port list in the documentation, write_file for a backup script and edit_file for the copy of startdedicated.bat under another name. The list also checks that ServerPort is 26900 and names the ports to open, for your own server only. Plan only changes no file. Anyone who wants to run a dedicated server for an overhaul modlist can add the mod folders to the same plan. You read the list, then switch to Ask first for each step.
Before a game update, ask for a copy of the saves folder. VariantOak finds it with list_dir and glob, then Shell runs your own backup script and reports the real exit code. Exit 0 means the script finished, not that the copy is good, so open the backup and look inside. If a reset of the server only reset the player and not the world, an older copy shows what changed. Stop the server first. Then test a restore at least once.
VariantOak 2.9.26 does the work. A typical chat assistant describes the steps and leaves you to run them, while VariantOak runs the tools itself and shows every result as a card in the chat.
| Typical chat assistant | VariantOak | |
|---|---|---|
| Next step | Describes a command and waits for you to run it | Runs the tool and shows the real result |
| Config edits | Prints a new file for you to paste over the old one | Changes the file in place and shows a diff to accept |
| Checking | Cannot see whether your command worked | Judges a command by its real exit code |
| Before changes | Nothing pauses before you paste | Ask first pauses before changes; Plan only runs nothing |
Players who host a 7d2d server for friends use it first. The agent reads serverconfig.xml, shows a diff before each change, even for ServerPort (26900 by default), and can put a backup step in front of every edit, so one typo does not cost a world. Backups come first.
Admins who run a 7 days to die dedicated server for a community use it for the routine jobs. Searching logs, checking serveradmin.xml and writing start scripts are repeated work, and Cron can run a prompt on a schedule. Plans survive restarts.
Mod authors use it too. A mod is a sub-folder with a ModInfo.xml, and a code mod is a compiled C# library, so the agent lists, reads and compares the files while you decide what stays. Server and players need matching mods and versions.
A 7 Days to Die server is a separate program that runs the game world for other players. You start it on your own PC or on a machine you own or rent, and friends join from the multiplayer menu running the same game version. Versions must match.
Yes, cscartdevelopers.com is the official VariantOak website. The download here is the original build, so compare its SHA-256 checksum with the published manifest before you run it. The installer is not code-signed yet. Verify it first. Questions go through the Send feedback button inside the app.
Admin commands are console commands, so you type them in the server's console, not in VariantOak. Examples are kick and listplayers. VariantOak reads serveradmin.xml to show each permission level, where 0 is the highest, and searches the log for what happened after a command.
The model decides. With a cloud model the prompt, including the file text the agent reads, goes to that provider, while with a local model nothing leaves your PC. Chats, working folders and API keys stay on the PC either way.
Yes. It lists the Mods folder, reads each ModInfo.xml and searches the log for the line where a mod failed to load. If a mod cannot be on a multiplayer server, check that the server and every player have the same mod and version. Mods often break after a big update.
No. The agent proposes a change and shows the diff, and you decide whether to accept it, because models make mistakes and a server can still fail to start. Read every diff and test the server before players join. Ask first pauses before actions that change something, and Plan only changes nothing at all.
A cloud AI provider through a standard API endpoint, a model running on your PC, or the built-in model, which is ready to use without your own endpoint. The Test button checks an endpoint and shows its response time and context window. You can switch between them.
Start with Plan only. The setup is 34 MB. Read what the agent proposes, then let it edit a single file while you check the diff and keep a copy of the saves folder on the side.
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What the agent does with server files and mods ↗ Choosing a cloud, local or built-in model ↗ Step-by-step server settings walkthroughs ↗ Setup program and checksum for Windows ↗ Answers about server setup and VariantOak ↗ What the site and the app store ↗